The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-09-21
MR.. RLAINE's CANDIDACY.
William Walter Phelps Expresses His
Views Upon theisubJect.
The Nomination Certain II Mr.. Blaine
VIII Accept 1t.
Democrats Disguised With Their
Mugwump Chief Magistrate.

New YORK, Sept. 20.-"Will Mr. Blaine
be nominated next yearP" asked a reporter
of William Walter Phelps.
IF he wants the nomination, or if he will
accept it,"
"Will he accept the nomination if offered"
II do not know the answer to that ques-
ton, nor does any one else. | know he did
not want it in 1884, and that he accepted it
against his own judgment and wishes, under
the urgent appeals Of personal and political
friends. know he said before the nomina-
tion, and at the time Of it, that no Repub-
lican could be elected, and know, too, that
he never changed that opinion until the evil
dence of his extraordinary popularity over
whelmed all the philosophic reasons which
made him think a Republican triumph in
that election impossible for any one, and
forced him, before the election, to admit
that he was stronger than his party, and
that success was probable. 1 think the rest
of the party, less confident than their lead
ers, were sure on the morning of the Black
Friday, before Burchard uttered his alliter-
alton on the stairs of the Fifth Avenue Ho-
tel, that Blaine was elected; and he was but
for that ecclesiastical blunder."
Are Blaine's friends doing nothing for
his nomination."
Absolutely nothing. Most of them near
est to him agree with him in the wish that he
might escape it. He could not have greater
power were he President, and he could have
much less peace and independence. Besides,
even II he wanted the nomination, or If we
wanted it for him, we should do nothing to
influence the Republican party in making its
award of the great honor. We do not forget
that without effort on our part the party in
1884 made him. with practical unanimity, its
standard bearer. We promised to elect him
and we failed. Though the failure was an
accident, it does not alter the case Other
Republicans may this time make the nomi-
nation, and we shall give them as cordial
and hearty support as they gave us. know
whom we would not heartily support, and
whom, as against Cleveland, we will not
elect. This goes upon the assumption that
it shall be leader of the party who gets the
nomination, and not some obscurity whose
only recommendation is the fact that he is
unknown in the council chamber and on the
battle6elds of his party"
"You think Cleveland would be the
weakest candidate Of your opponents"
"On that point | feel very positive. No
one who has so large an acquaintance with
the Democratic leaders as have can fail to
recognize. the bitter animosity which they
feel, and in private express, against their
President. If they have the ordinary feel
lngS OF humanity, now could IL De 0tler-
wise? They worked for twenty-four years
to put the Democratic party into power, and
when they succeeded they find they have
elected Mugwump. The leaders of the
party will not strive to destroy their party,
but they will refuse to lead and will sulk in
their tents. The workers will refuse to work,
and any man who has lived, as | have done,
for twenty years in active and practical pol
itics knows that the absence of that per-
sonal interest and solicitation which makes
the worker in politics means diminished
and hopeless vote"
you say Mr.. Cleveland will be renomi-
mated? How do you reconcile that with his
extreme unpopularity."
HE will be nominated by the inexorable
logic of circumstances. To refuse him a re-
nomination is to confess that the only Demo-
cratic administration, the only test that this
present generation has for proving the quail
ity of Democracy, has been a failure. If
they go before the people without Cleve-
land, they go asking the people to indorse a
failure. Old Man Cleveland has the party
by the neck, ana they cannot shake him
Wont the Mugwumps still vote against
Blaine?"
"Yes, every man of them
Where, then, would Mr.. Blaine get the
votes to compensate?"
From dissatisfied Democrats, from pro-
lection Democrats and FROM every Irishman
who has acquired the right of American suf-
frage."